Marcos tells Pinoys to conserve water, energy as PH braces for El Niño
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 21) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged Filipinos to conserve water and energy as the country prepares for El Niño.
In his latest vlog titled "Ang Init" (It’s hot) released Saturday night, Marcos said the hot weather in the country created a demand for electricity that far exceeds the supply. He also said rainfall decreased by 35 percent, affecting hydroelectric power plants, dams and irrigation.
“Ang DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) inatasan natin na paratingin sa mga LGU (local government) ang kampanya natin sa pag-mitigate ng impact ng El Niño gaya ng pagtitipid ng tubig sa bahay, sa mga car wash, sa mga pagdidilig ng golf course at pagre-refill ng mga swimming pool,” he said.
[Translation: We tasked the DILG to inform the LGUs about our campaign to mitigate the impact of El Niño by conserving water in the house, car wash, golf course irrigation, and for refilling swimming pool.]
“Ito ay inaasahang makakatulong sa pagpapanatili ng ating supply,” he added. “Lahat tayo ay may maitutulong, lahat tayo ay may magagawa."
[Translation: All these are expected to conserve our supply. All of us can help, all of us can do something.]
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Marcos also said the government continues to find ways to lessen the impact of increased temperatures nationwide by addressing power concerns — among these is the extension of the license of the Malampaya facility until 2039.
In a separate statement, Malacañang said the project would “reduce the country’s dependence on oil imports and ensure a more stable supply of cleaner energy.”
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“Sinusuportahan din natin ang mga bagong teknolohiya, tulad ng battery storage, para maging sustainable at reliable pa ang ating renewable sources of energy,” he added.
[Translation: We also support new technology, like battery storage, to make our renewable sources of energy sustainable and reliable.]
He also noted that concerns on water and energy directly impact agriculture.
"Ang matinding tagtuyot ay kalaban ng agrikultura. Ang lupang walang moisture ay nakakaapekto sa yield o sa dami ng ani. Isama na rin natin ang ating mga palaisdaan."
[Translation: Extreme heat is the enemy of agriculture. Soil without moisture affects yield. Extreme heat also affects fisheries.]
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The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has raised the El Niño Alert status as it expects the weather phenomenon to occur in the coming months starting June.
Marcos also said while the country braces for El Niño, the government has started preparing for a possible La Niña after the dry spell.
